Former Jefferson staffer testifies she was told to falsify job numbers

Karen Grant, a former assistant career services dean at Thomas Jefferson School of Law has filed a declaration stating that she was told by her supervisor to pad employment numbers. Publications such as Law School Transparency and the National Law Journal are reporting Grant's declaration today (Oct. 23). Grant made the declaration as part of a class action suit by Anna Alaburda, who charged last year that, among other things, Jefferson was falsifying employment records. Since then, 14 suits have been filed against other law schools, but 3 have already been dismissed. Grant testified that "I routinely recorded currently unemployed students as 'employed' if they had been employed at any time since graduation." But law schools are only supposed to report graduates as employed if they have a job 9 months after graduation. Grant testified that her supervisor told her, "Everybody does it."

Rudy Hasl, dean of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, disputes Grant's reliability and says Jefferson stands by the accuracy of its data.

Comments

The school should have it's ABA status yanked for this, it is fraud. You would never get licensed as a lawyer if yo engaged in this kind of fraud, criminal fraud, but the scam schools get away with it.....

Jefferson, which denies Karen Grant's assertion, deserves its day in court, of course. Is there any significance to the fact that one of the biggest controversies in higher education revolves around San Diego's Bridgepoint, and now one of the burgeoning controversies in legal education involves San Diego's Thomas Jefferson School of Law? Best, Don Bauder

Does this school have any "ABA status"? Last I heard it was non-ABA accredited, hence the ABA probably maintains no records on it. I'd guess that WASC does accredit it, but there's no requirement with them for employment data. (Hmm. There is the beginning of an idea.)

surfpuppy619 is correct. WSU started with it's main campus up in OC across from Cal State Fullerton.It became TJSL in the mid '90's. I believe it was given provisional accreditation shortly afterward and probably got full accreditation 3-5 yrs later, which is about the average time. I do recall that sometime about 10 yrs ago or so, the was a concern that the might lose there accreditation. The ABA was concerned about their low passing rate for first time bar exams because it was quite a bit lower than the average for Ca. law schools. Coincidence or not, I don't know, but this happened not to long after it was bought buy group in Pittsburgh that operates a bunch of schools across the country.

I don't know if the WSU LS in Old Town was actually connected to the one in Fullerton, across from CSU Fullerton, it may hvae been, there was also a 3rd campus off the 405 in Consta Mesa?I rvine?? don't know what happened to it either.....

Actually, I have to correct myself. TJLS, WAS the SD campus of WSU up until 1995, when it went independent, according to their own website. Also thet were granted provisional ABA accreditation in August 1996, and full ABA accreditation was granted in August 2001 and the law school became a private, non-profit institution the same year, again according to their website. So they were originally a part of WSU, with no accreditation, then went independent from WSU and gained accreditation.

Many successful lawyers have graduated from Jefferson. It’s possible to go far with a Jefferson law degree, but not very likely. Bonnie Dumanis is a Jefferson graduate. Most law students who attend schools like Jefferson believe that they are possessed of enormous talents, despite having mediocre undergraduate records and modest test scores. These students believe that they are exceptional, and are going to beat the odds. So they borrow on average $160,000 to pursue what is little more than sheer fantasy. I doubt many students enrolled in Jefferson based solely on false job placement figures. These students had to know what they were getting into, and the risks they were taking.

And for the record, when Dumbass graduated it was "Western State" and a non aba LS. She was APPOINTED a judgeship. Just as all judgeship's are filled, it is who you know and who you give $$$ to that determines whop is appointed, not merits. Same throughout gov.

Do we want to say the Ms. Dumanis has gotten where she is on her legal skills? Or do we want to acknowledge that she has benefitted greatly from not only her own connections, but those of her father's?

Many successful lawyers have graduated from Jefferson. It’s possible to go far with a Jefferson law degree, but not very likely. Bonnie Dumanis is a Jefferson graduate

This is true- if you apply yourself and work hard all it will take is ONE good case.

As for Dumbass, she is being sued in federal court for fabricating evidence...let me repeat that, the elected DA is being sued in federal court for FABRICATING evidence in a 1st degree murder trial. Dumbass should be disbarred.